Newcastle United missed out on the signing of striker Erling Braut Haaland back in 2018, according to a report.
It was announced on Tuesday that Manchester City had agreed a deal to bring the Borussia Dortmund man to the Etihad Stadium this summer, after the Premier League holders triggered the 21-year-old's release clause.
However, the Norwegian could have made his move to England much earlier according to ChronicleLive, who report that The Magpies came close to signing Haaland prior to him turning 18 years old.
The report suggests that Newcastle had sent scouts to watch Haaland when he played for Norwegian side Molde, who had placed a £7m price tag on their striker's head.
Leeds United also reportedly held an interest at the time, but the youngster instead made the move to Red Bull Salzburg for around £7.2m in January 2019, with Newcastle not following up their interest during Mike Ashley's reign as owner.
Following just 12 months in Austria, Haaland was snapped up by Dortmund for around £18m in January 2020, where he has scored 85 goals in 88 games ahead of his final game for the Bundesliga outfit against Hertha Berlin on Saturday.
Matthew Tranter
